carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

1

: a dead body : corpse

especially : the dressed body of a meat animal

Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass.

2

: the living, material, or physical body

It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.

3

: the decaying or worthless remains of a structure

the carcass of an abandoned automobile

4

: the underlying structure or frame of something (as of a piece of furniture)

Synonyms

• bones
• cadaver
• corpse
• corpus
• corse [archaic]
• relics
• remains
• stiff

Examples of carcass in a Sentence

the rusting carcass of an old truck

the carcass of a squirrel that had been run over

Recent Examples on the Web

The shark’s carcass washed up May 28 on South Africa’s Eastern Cape, and closer inspection helped experts identify the apex predator that killed it. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 3 June 2024

This kind of bear scat is largely limited to bear populations that live near water, unless a bear drags a fish carcass out of a dumpster. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 30 May 2024

In the 1980s, the salmon-eating orcas of the northeastern Pacific fashioned hats from the carcasses of their prey. —Tomas Weber, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024

As the organism’s carcass dries in the sun and the soft tissues decay, the blue color disappears, leaving the transparent chitinous float behind. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body

especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body : corpse

especially : the dressed body of a meat animal